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nude form are engraved on one seal (Vide Sir John Marsholl: Mohanjo-Daro and the Indus Civilization, Vol. III, plate No. 118, picture No. B.426) and that each figure is shown naked and standing erect in a contemplating mood with both the hands keeping close to the body. Since this 'Kayotsarga' way (i. e. in standing posture) practising penance is peculiar only to the Jainas and the figures are of naked ascetics, it can be maintained that these figures represent the Tirthankaras.
Jaina
(iii) Again, the figures of male deities in contemplating mood and in sitting posture engraved on the seals (Vide Sir John Marshall: Mohanjo-Daro and the Indus Civilization, Vol. III, (a), Plate No. 116, Picture No. 29, and (b) Plate No. 118, Picture No. 11) resemble the figures of Jaina Tirthankaras because in these, the male deities are depicted as having one face only while the figures of male deities, supposed to be the prototypes of Lord Shiva, are generally depicted as having three faces, three eyes and three horns (vide Sir John Marshall: MohanjoDaro and the Indus Civilization, Vol. I, Plate No. 12, Picture No. 17).
(iv) Moreover, on some seals we find the figure of a bull engraved below the figure of a nude male deity practising penance in the Kayotsarga' way i, e. in a standing posture. These figures appear to be the representations of Rishabhadeva, the 1st Jaina Tirthankara, because of the facts that among the Jainas there is an established practice of depicting the Lanchhana, i, e. the emblem, of each Tirthankara below his idol and that the emblem of Rishabhadeva is bull.
(v) In addition, the sacred signs of Swastika are found engraved on a number of seals (vide Sir John Marshall Mohanjo-Daro and the Indus Civilization, Vol. III, Plate No. 14, Picture No. 500 to 515). It is pertinent to note that the Swastika signs engraved on Seals Nos. 502, 503, 506 and 514 exactly resemble the established Jaina practise of drawing Swastika signs.
(vi) Further, there are some motifs on the seals found in Mohanjo-Daro and, it is suggested, that these motifs are identical with those found in the ancient Jaina. art of Mathura.
From these archaeological evidences it can be stated that there are traces of worship of Jaina deities and that there was the prevalence of worship of Jaina Tirthankara Rishabhadeva along with the worship of Hindu God who is considered to be the prototype of Lord Shiva in the Indus Valley Civilization. This presence of Jaina tradition in the most early period of Indian history is supported by many scholars like Dr. Radha Kumud Mookarji, Gustav Roth, Prof. A. Chakravarti, Prof. Ram Prasad Chanda, T. N. Ramchandran, Champat Rai Jain, Kamta Prasad Jain and Dr. Pran Nath.
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